The new eight-floor Lotos Group SA’s headquarters in Gdańsk, is smart, energy saving, elegant and an area landmark – thanks to the use of Pilkington products within a stunning architectural design.
The challenge for the building – situated on an old oil refinery site – was to construct an office in keeping with modernisation plans for other buildings in the area. Top priority was to be given to design, energy conservation, public safety, air conditioning, ambiance, creativity and innovation. The Lotos Group wanted its office to be practical and environmentally friendly as well as becoming a stunning local landmark.
Award-winning architects Arch-Deco designed an elegant yet innovative building, following the trisection principles of classical architecture. Particularly interesting was the idea of the square with glass corridors of elliptic shape, that lead to the other buildings of the complex. The building is a triangle with convex sides and rounded apexes oriented along the east-west axis, to provide each floor with natural daylight to create the right ambiance and reduce the need for lighting.
The building design's criteria were also met by creating a façade using double-skin technology. The external skin comprises Pilkington Optiwhite™ T toughened safety glass. Different from ordinary float glass, Pilkington Optiwhite™ allows greater transparency, creating the required internal and external ambiance but more importantly providing maximum light transmission, which reduces the need for artificial lighting and therefore ensures energy savings. The façade’s internal skin comprises Pilkington Suncool™ 70/40 solar control glass combined with Pilkington Optilam™ 8.8 laminated safety glass. Pilkington Suncool™ 70/40 ensures high light transmission with high solar control and very good thermal insulation, reducing the need for heating, cooling and lighting the inside of the building. For the more vulnerable ground floor, the innovative Pilkington Optilam™ 9.5 anti-burglary safety glass has been used. External and internal skins of the façade are separated with a 600 mm wide ventilated air space which, as well as having thermal properties, works as a filter. It transmits only clean air to the inside of the building and all pollution from the outside is blocked.
The double-skin technology in conjunction with the air-conditioning system result in improved energy balance and minimized impact on the environment and its occupants.
19 mm of toughened Pilkington Optiwhite™ T has been used for the glass balustrades of the top-level external terrace, where personal safety is needed. It provides protection for visitors whilst making the most out of the panoramic views.
The final creative touch was the addition of floodlights pulsating with various colours on blinds that are lowered between the façade’s internal and external skins. Electronic controls allow changes in the colours of the façade and the generation of moving display text advertising the company's services.